Christy Speaks Up

Columnist George Christy, who recently resigned from the Hollywood Reporter after questions were raised about his ethics, has broken his silence.

Over a pasta lunch at Orsini’s in Century City, the 74-year-old writer was a charming host who welcomed us to the quaint eatery as if it were his own kitchen. From a table that afforded him views of the restaurant, he graciously introduced us to the owner and the head waiter, both of whom hovered nearby throughout the meal and snapped to Christy’s side whenever the writer lifted his eyes above the table. He told us this restaurant was his favorite. Overhearing this, the owner said it was Al Pacino’s favorite too.

After quizzing us on our professional backgrounds, Christy told a few stories from the old days at Town and Country magazine, where he worked a quarter-century ago. He delighted in retelling the story of meeting Alfred Hitchcock, who told Christy that he was locked in a closet as a child, and said that Jimmy Stewart once confessed to buying a Beverly Hills home to house his dogs. He dropped a few more names. Moments later, he stood to greet two men leaving the restaurant. These were important folks with Revolution Studios, he said.

Before we could ask, Christy raised the subject of his controversial last few months at the Hollywood Reporter. His otherwise bright demeanor darkened. “I am not an ogre!” he told us. He had sharp words for former editor Anita Busch and former labor reporter Dave Robb, who not only raised questions about his ethics but quit in dismay over the publication’s handling of the issue.

According to sources, the allegations are the subject of a continuing federal investigation.

For 26 years, Christy wrote “The Great Life,” a party column that detailed the goings-on in Hollywood. Over the years, some studio executives and fellow employees accused Christy of writing favorably of establishments that picked up his hotel or restaurant tabs. They also said that he’d refuse to cover an event without a studio’s agreement to pay the photographer of his choice and provide Christy a limo.

Last year, Christy was accused of receiving Screen Actors Guild benefits as a performer in films in which he did not actually appear. At lunch, Christy detailed his portrayal of a strip club emcee in the Farrelly brothers’ 1996 comedy “Kingpin” as proof that he justly earned his SAG benefits. His performance, he said, ended up on the cutting room floor. (No one disputes he appeared in some movies; the issue is whether he was credited for movies he did no work on.)

These days, Christy writes a column for the Nob Hill Gazette in San Francisco and works as a TV commentator on Canadian television. He’s also plotting a book. It’s tentatively titled “The Whole Enchilada” and, said Christy, “There will be real people in it. Some people will be spanked. Maybe quite a few.”

Seeking Jay

Actor Jason Mewes, who gained fame playing a stoned slacker in director Kevin Smith’s Jay and Silent Bob movies, is in legal hot water. Last month, a New Jersey judge issued a $50,000 bench warrant for his arrest when Mewes failed to appear at a probation violation hearing.

In January 2001, Mewes pleaded guilty to a felony heroin possession charge, and was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to undergo substance abuse counseling and submit to random urine testing. The probation violation hearing was scheduled after Mewes failed to meet with his probation officer.

Judge Michael D. Farren signed the bench warrant Dec. 14. As of Monday, according to a prosecutor involved in the case, the 27-year-old actor had not been apprehended.

Quote/Unquote:

“I don’t know why people are saying this.... They ask me about it to my face, which I think is incredibly rude--they would never have the gall to ask her. It’s a horrible thing to say about someone. I mean, I’m a married man with two kids. Who do they ... think they’re speaking to?” --Ewan McGregor, on rumors about an affair with Nicole Kidman, in the February issue of W.

Sighting

Sandra Bernhard eating breakfast with friends at the Coffee Table restaurant in Silver Lake.